Venari
by WhatSup121
Summary: Venari-(n.) to hunt. Peter could feel the eyes watching him. They were waiting for an opening, a chance to rip him apart. They wanted to destroy his life, and they had the means to do it. They knew his name, face, and exactly where he would run. Peter knew this too, but he couldn't do anything but try to run faster. His efforts were in vain; hunters always catch their prey.


Peter felt like he finally had everything under control for the first time in what felt like forever. For the longest time, he had been stuck in his head with his own grief and pain but now, everything was starting to look up for him. His world had been spiraling out of his grasp ever since he had journeyed into space, and he had never thought that everything would turn out the way it did.

First of all, he _died._

If that wasn't shocking enough to him, then it was the events that ensued that were just the icing on the cake.

Mr. Stark _died._

Mr. Stark has been a grounding presence for Peter while he had been learning the superhero ropes. Well, he was _still_ learning the ropes.

But, Mr. Stark wasn't here.

And Peter didn't know if he could do this without him. He couldn't handle the pressure. Everyone was expecting so much out of him. They wanted him to become a leader, to become their new hero. They wanted him to become the person they could lay their hopes and dreams on, be an infallible idol.

_"Will you be taking Iron Man's place in the Avengers?"_

_ "Are you the next leader of the Avenger's?"_

_ "What will you do to prevent the next alien invasion?"_

_ "What are your thoughts about taking on the responsibilities of the late Tony Stark?"_

_ "How do you feel about being Iron Man's successor?"_

They wanted him to be Tony Stark.

But he will never be Tony Stark. Mr. Stark was everything that he wasn't. Mr. Stark was strong, brave, confident, and had all the qualities of a true hero. And Peter? He was just a kid who didn't know what to do with his powers. He could never live up to Mr. Stark.

And Peter _knew_ it.

He saw it everyday. Murals, shrines, and gifts for Iron Man were everywhere. Peter couldn't walk anywhere without being reminded of his failures. Even if Mr. Stark's face wasn't plastered on every street, Peter still knew that he wouldn't be able to forget. Tony Stark, the World's Greatest Hero, had died, and Peter had done nothing to stop it. For all the power and responsibility he had, he wasn't able to save a single life. The life that had mattered the most. The life that had grown to become a father figure to him. If Peter couldn't save the people closest to him, then what kind of hero did that make him?

_A worthless one_, his mind had supplied the answer to him during his darkest moments of grief.

_"Tony went back to save you, Peter. You were the only reason he decided to help us. He saved the world for you."_

The words were spoken as words of comfort, to reassure Peter that Mr. Stark had truly cared about Peter's wellbeing, but they only served to make him feel worse. Those words proved that Peter was the reason why Tony embarked on the journey to save the world. Mr. Stark wouldn't have died if he hadn't gone to help the other Avengers. The only reason he went was _Peter._ If Peter hadn't existed, maybe Tony would be around to see his daughter grow up. Without Peter, the world would still have one of its greatest heroes. The Avengers would still have its leader. The longer Peter thought about it, the clearer it became that _he _was the reason Tony died.

Peter loathed himself for it.

A plethora of thoughts had run through his head about what he could have done, and what he _should _have done to prevent Mr. Stark's death. He questioned every action he had committed and pointed out all his minor mistakes. The only explanation that was clear to him was that _he failed_. He wasn't good enough and Mr. Stark had paid the price.

_"Maybe if you were good enough, Tony would still be alive."_

Mr. Stark had left him the E.D.I.T.H. glasses but Peter knew he wasn't the right one to wield them. The glasses were a huge responsibility, and if left in the wrong hands, it could be devastating to the world. And Peter? He was the wrong hands, he knew it in his heart. The most simple responsibility a hero had was to protect people, and he had certainly failed that aspect of the job. He couldn't even save his mentor. Not only did he fail his father figure, he had failed as a hero. He shouldn't hold this weapon. Besides, surely Mr. Stark wouldn't leave an advanced AI weapons system with the kid who was responsible for his death?

_Wrong._

_ "For the next Tony Stark, I trust you."_

Mr. Stark shouldn't have trusted him.

So, when Mysterio had come to save the world from the Elementals, Peter had jumped at the opportunity. Here was a hero that was_ good_, and an adult. Adults practically radiate responsibility, right? Kids couldn't be trusted with anything. Mysterio had exhibited all the qualities expected in a hero, and proved that he could handle himself under pressure. The final deciding point had been when Quentin Beck had put on those glasses, and everything clicked into place for Peter.

Beck was the splitting image of the late Tony Stark.

Peter had almost teared up at the sight because he knew that he could never dream of filling the shoes that Mr. Stark had left behind and Beck had seemed to fill the role perfectly. It had pained Peter to give away the glasses, the only thing he had left from his mentor, but he knew it was for the best. He wasn't the right person for the job. Mr. Stark hadn't chosen him. So, with one last longing look at the glasses, he gave them away.

He couldn't handle the power and responsibility anyways.

At least that's what he told himself….

….until he was proven wrong yet again.

Mysterio was the _wrong _choice. To make matters worse, he wasn't even close to being a hero. He was fake. And a liar. And a cheater.

_Wow_, Peter just couldn't stop making mistakes.

Not only was he not worthy of the glasses, but he gave them to a villain.

_"You really screwed the pooch, Peter."_

He had practically head Mr. Stark berating him over his mess-ups, and he had chucked humorlessly at the voice in his head. He would never again hear that voice lecture him again. Mr. Stark wasn't around to put him back into his place. This time, there was no one around to clean up his messes.

He was on his own.

But in a way he wasn't alone, he had Happy, his friends, and his Aunt. They may not have powers, but they supported him and gave him the amount of confidence to make things right.

And somehow, he had managed to fix everything. He got the glasses, his crush, _and_ defeated Mysterio.

Win, win, and _win_.

It was the most positive thing to happen to him in _months_. He was finally getting a grip on the new world he found himself in. He was adjusting to being blipped forward in time five years. He was starting to feel _happy_. And maybe, just maybe he realized that Tony would want him to be happy (which only happened after Happy and Aunt May beat some sense into him and told him to stop wallowing in his grief).

He had control.

And then everything spiraled downwards and out of his grasp yet once again.

_"This is breaking news. We come to you now with a video from Quentin Beck AKA Mysterio a few moments before his death."_

_What?_ Peter's heart stopped beating. There was no way they had footage from his fight with Mysterio, all the drones had been destroyed. Peter had made sure of it, but with this statement, a flicker of doubt rose in his stomach.

But what if he hadn't destroyed all the drones?

Did that mean that Mysterio was still keeping up illusions?

Could he still be _alive?_

_"Spider-man attacked me for some reason. He has an army of weaponized drones. It's Stark technology. He's saying that he's the only one who's going to be the new Iron Man. No one else."_

Peter's mouth dropped wide open from shock._ That's not what happened._

And then he realized one thing from the battle.

_"Is this real?"_

_"All drones are disabled, and no illusions are being projected."_

Peter had asked about the drones E.D.I.T.H. controlled, but what about the devices Beck had used_ before _Peter had given him access to the glasses? He had to have been using advanced technology to produce the lifelike Elementals to even begin to fool Nick Fury. Even after gaining access to E.D.I.T.H.'s drones, Beck wouldn't have gotten rid of his previous tech, it was just too valuable to simply throw away.

So, in reality, Beck could have used his old tech without having Peter know it was in use. And Peter had stupidly forgot to ask the most important question.

_Is he dead?_

AI's only answer what's asked of them, and Peter had never asked E.D.I.T.H. for Beck's vitals. Mysterio could still be alive, and worse, he knew Peter's secret. Peter immediately paled at the thought.

This could be very, very bad.

_"Are you sure you want to commence the drone attack? There will be significant casualties."_

_ "Just— do it. Execute them all."_

Peter's breath hitched in his throat, they were pinning the attack on _him._ They couldn't do this, he wouldn't let Mysterio turn him into a villain. He refused let Beck frame him for his actions.

But, just like Tony's death, Peter could do nothing but stand there and watch as the video played on.

_"This shocking video was released earlier today on the controversial website ."_

_"There you have it folks, conclusive proof that Spider-Man is the murderer of Mysterio."_

Murderer.

The word made Peter's blood run cold. _This is slander!_ Peter, who was horrified at the video ruining his name, thought with rage. Even dead, Mysterio could fool the masses into believing his lies.

_"No doubt go in history as the greatest superhero of all time!"_

He stiffened at the comment praising Mysterio. How could they call him that? How could they forget Mr. Stark? He had died to protect them all. He died to save _billions_ across the universe. And they called Mysterio a great superhero? He was the opposite of Tony Stark. Quentin Beck would never compare to him. While Peter knew that he himself wasn't on Mr. Stark's level, he knew that he was a better hero than Beck. He was miles ahead of that liar. Peter helped others because it was his duty to, he had a responsibly to do good with his powers. Beck, on the other hand, only strived to become a hero for the influence he could gain. Beck only 'saved' people for his own personal gain. It was an insult to Iron Man's name to even call the man a hero.

_"Spider-Mans real name is—"_

Peter never should have trusted him. He had thought that Beck could become another mentor to him. He had believed in him and in doing so, he had given Beck exactly what he wanted.

Mysterio wanted to destroy Spider-Man.

_"Spider-Mans real name is—"_

And he was setting his reputation aflame, tearing it down to shambles.

_"Spider-Man's name is Peter Parker!"_

_NO._

No no nononono.

Why now? Out of all times?

He was finally picking up the pieces of his broken life, only to have everything come crashing down again.

Every villain and crook he had ever caught were going to be coming after him. They would rip his life apart, using whatever resources they could find to aid their cause. Peter's school would be destroyed in an attempt to find him. People would storm his apartment in the hunt for the spider. He would be swarmed with the press while walking down the street.

He would never had a normal life again.

_What is the saying people always use?_ Peter thought with a sarcastic huff. _Oh, yeah, no good deed ever goes unpunished._

Because surely this was a punishment of some kind. Peter had only ever tried his best to protect the people of New York, and recently, the rest of the world. He had only ever wanted to be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but the world had demanded him to step up. So, he did. He met the challenges head on, and did his best to save others. He used his powers responsibly, and this was his _reward? _To be outed to the world and have his name tarnished by the media? All the while Mysterio is being praised for his crimes. He was 'dead' and defeated but he still had the final laugh.

Indeed.

No good deed goes unpunished.

Really, it was such a simple explanation.

But his main problem still remained, what will he do now?

He could run, but where would he go? He obviously couldn't stay at his apartment, that would be the first place that people would look for him. He had no resources, and he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to ask Pepper for help. She and her daughter were still dealing with the loss of Tony. Peter knew Happy would help him, if not because he cared (which Peter one he did), but because of the new relationship he had with Peter's aunt (Peter still found it to be weird and awkward for him to address). So, Happy would help him, but Peter had nowhere to run to. Besides, he didn't want to leave New York. He had lived his entire life here, and he would be damned if he let Mysterio run him out of town.

He refused to let Beck win anymore than he already had.

Peter would stay and rough it out. He could handle it. If he could handle Tony's death, he could handle this. He would survive and he would find a way to fix this. He _had_ to.

Unfortunately, that was a hard task that remained in front of him.

Everyone _knew._

And once something is known, it can never be unknown.

And that made him afraid, because what if he _couldn't_ fix this? This wasn't the same as when he gave away the glasses, that had been something he could get back. This couldn't be forgotten, he had been revealed. His deepest secret was out in the open, out there for everyone to view.

_"I have to go."_ Peter's voice involuntarily came out in a cracked whisper, betraying his fear.

He couldn't even bring himself to look MJ in the eyes before he web-slung away. Not that she would know if he did, the mask covered his eyes, but he couldn't help but feel ashamed. He may not be running from the city, but he ran from his own girlfriend. She had been nothing but accepting ever since she had found out his secret, so this reveal shouldn't change anything between them. But the thing was, everything was different. People would know who he was when he walked down the street. Villains would know who to target when he foiled their plans. Now, if anyone were to see them together, they would use her to get to him.

He had to stay away from her.

So he ran, and he swung back to his apartment. He had to get his stuff and get his aunt. He still didn't know what to do. Maybe they could go to the Compound? He was an Avenger after all. Well, he would figure it out soon enough.

There was only one thing he was sure of.

His life would _never _be the same again.

…..

"Everything is going as we planned. The world believes me to be dead, and I have become a martyr. People will blame Spider-Man, which will make it all the easier for us to carry out the next part of the plan. We will be heroes for bringing him to justice." Quentin Beck smiled sinisterly while looking out the window, admiring the light glinting off the skyscrapers of New York city.

_"Indeed."_ A deeper voice agreed, coming from a man standing in the darker area of the room, covering his face with shadows.

"Are the others ready?" Beck questioned the other, ready to move onto the next phase.

_"Almost. Vulture and Scorpion will be free to join us after the public persecutes Peter Parker for the crime of killing Mysterio. I believe that I will be able to get my company to get them early parole with our new team. After all, they were put in jail by Spider-Man, I find it fitting that they be the ones to help us bring him to justice. Kraven is ready and waiting for orders. You know it took quite a large sum of money to get him to agree to help us."_

"Please," Mysterio scoffed. "It's not like you can't afford it."

The man chuckled. _"True."_

Beck paused briefly, observing a small flock of birds flying by the window. "And the other one? The experiment?"

_"Project Sandman had shown considerable progress but we have yet to find a subject to survive the process. We may have to delay our plans further if the project does not turn out successful."_

"It _will_ work. And waiting is not an issue, we've waited this long to make our debut, so we can wait a little longer if it means that we can make the world ours. People will believe in us, and they _will _turn to us as their true heroes. We will take the title as the World's Greatest Heroes, and become greater than the Avengers ever were." Beck turned around to look the other man in the eyes.

_"Of course. I never intended to imply otherwise."_ The man stepped out of the shadows and into the light, revealing his face to Beck.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, as always, Mr. Osborn." Beck offered his hand out for a handshake.

"You as well, _Mysterio._" Osborn emphasized Beck's alter ego with a small smirk, and returned the favor, grabbing the other man's hand and shook it.

He left without another word, leaving Mysterio to his thoughts. With Osborn's departure, Beck took one last glance out the window and sunk into his desk chair.

A smug grin on his face, he whispered out a single phrase. "We will be _spectacular._"

**I know not much happened in this first chapter but I promise the next few chapters will have more stuff going on. This is just the introduction to what I think will happen in the future. Or, at least what I had thought in the case of the Marvel/Sony deal.**

** I had originally planned on prewriting this whole story, but this chapter has been sitting in my drive for the last few weeks and I've made no progress whatsoever on any other chapters. So, I figured I'd just go ahead and post this. Especially since I haven't had time recently to update A Choice or One in 14,000,605, but I hope I can get around to updating them soon.**

** Anyways, thanks for reading! And feel free to favorite and review!**


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